Soulless
by 00Quinn00
Summary: It has been three months since Private abandoned the team. But, will his new encounter with his former teammates and the one he truly loves be his last? Sucky summary i know but please read! SLASH/Horror fic, M for violence and language, maybe more.
1. Chapter 1: Leaving

**Soulless**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Leaving<strong>

Private lay in his bunk, sobbing lightly while watching the storm outside rage on. In his flipper he held a picture that he and Skipper had taken together. They were on top of the clock tower, in each others' arms, smiling. The young penguin looked down at the picture below him, but it only forced more tears. It had been a week since Skipper completely crushed Private's heart, but he could still remember every horrible moment as if it had just happened..

_Private was sitting at the table in their HQ, eagerly waiting for his beloved to join him. Skipper said he needed to talk to him, but he was nowhere in sight. The little soldier smiled when he finally heard the fish bowl entrance slowly open, followed by the sight of Skipper climbing down. Private jumped up and hugged the leader, burying his face in the others chest_

"_There you are, Skippah! I was starting to get worried." He said with a chuckle. But Skipper didn't reply. In fact, Private realized that Skipper hadn't even hugged him back, he just stood there, emotionless._

"_Is something wrong, Skippah?" The younger penguin asked, slowly pulling away. The leader finally looked down at Private, but he had a completely blank expression on his face._

"_Private, we need to talk..."_

Private could remember every heart-crushing word being spoken by the one he thought he'd be with forever. He hadn't even been given a reason why. Right after Skipper broke up with him, he just left. Left him alone, to sit there and wonder why something like this happened to him. The next few days, Skipper wouldn't acknowledge him at all. Every time the leader would give commands, he would never speak directly to Private, and Private would do the same. He didn't want to cause any more trouble, so he just sat back in the corner, isolating himself from the others, in hopes that it would all turn out for the better. But after the week was over, Private knew Skipper wasn't ever coming back to him.

_Private had finally gotten sick of waiting for Skipper to confront him, so he decided to leave the HQ and look for him. After a couple minutes of searching, Private finally found the leader walking into Marlene's habitat. He wondered why he was over at her habitat, as he usually never visited the otter. Private didn't want to make a scene, so he decided to stake out and wait for Skipper to leave. That proved to be an extremely long process, as the little penguin was waiting for nearly 3 hours. When the sun had started to sink down from the sky, he finally gave up and went back to the HQ._

_ Once inside, Private found Kowalski and Rico, sitting together and watching the TV._

"_Hello, Private," Kowalski greeted when he saw the younger penguin approaching. "Where were __you?" Private slumped down on the couch beside Kowalski and looked at him sullenly. _

"_Just...looking for Skippah. I wonder why he was at Marlene's for so long today." Kowalski gave him a questioning glance._

"_Private, Skipper has been visiting Marlene for quite some time now, I thought you knew?" Private was now confused._

"_Wha..What do you mean?" Kowalski and Rico both looked at each other, worry covering their faces._

"_Private, Skipper and Marlene are engaged."_

_ Those words crushed Private from the inside out. He sat there on the couch for a few moments, dumbfounded. Then the tears came. Kowalski hugged the sobbing penguin until he finally stopped and looked up at the strategist._

"_When...When did it happen?" He asked, sniffling. Kowalski looked at him, obviously not wanting to answer._

"_K'walski, please tell me!" Private pleaded, and the scientist gave in. With a heavy sigh he finally answered,_

"_A week ago today. I'm..I'm sorry.."_

Private couldn't believe his ears. Skipper proposed to Marlene the same day they broke up. How could he have done that? It meant only one thing: Skipper was seeing Marlene behind Private's back.

So there he was, crying his eyes out in his bunk, wishing none of this had ever happened. He just wanted to be with Skipper, but he wasn't sure what to do, especially after the recent news he heard. How could Skipper have treated him like that, and without even telling him what was going on? There was no other way for Private to feel any more betrayed or alone. His leader and true love left him in the dust, alone. Private got off his bed and left the HQ. He found himself walking. Walking towards the entrance to the zoo. _'Skippah left me. Killed me inside. Betrayed me..' _He could feel himself picking up the pace. He was now in the park, nearly running, the tears still dropping from his face. _'He doesn't need me. He..He doesn't even want me..' _He slowed his pace and turned to the zoo before him.

"If you don't want me in your life anymore, Skippah... Then so be it.." He whispered out to himself, trying to hold back his tears and he turned around again and ran...


	2. Chapter 2: Awaken

A/N: Sorry if this one's really different from my usual work, but I really hope you like it! R&R!

**Soulless**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Awaken<strong>

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><p><em> Private lay on the couch, watching one of his favorite TV shows, when he heard the fish-bowl entrance slowly open. He turned around, being cautious, as the rest of the team was not supposed to be back from their training for quite some time. Private didn't go, mainly because he and Skipper had spent the entire night together, so the generous leader gave him the morning off.<em>

_ Private watched carefully as the entrance had been fully opened, exposing the hard cement floor with the sunlight that radiated outside, and a black and white formation jumped into the HQ. Private realized exactly who it was, and ran towards his lover, embracing him in his arms as tightly as he could._

"_Skippa!" He exclaimed, nuzzling his beak into the other's chest soft softly, "I missed you.."_

_The leader returned the hug, and moved the little penguin's beak to his own, smiling contently when the two parted._

"_I missed you too, Private." He replied happily, moving his flippers across his Private's back._

"_What about K'wolski and Rico?" Private asked, cautiously glancing at the entrance. Skipper chuckled as he picked the younger penguin up and carried him to his bunk._

"_They're still training, I gave 'em extra practice so we could be alone.." The leader answered, setting the other down on the bed, with him following closely behind. _

_ They embraced each other once again and pressed their beaks together. Private was as happy as he could be, the two hardly ever got time alone. Skipper was too busy being the leader, making sure everyone was alright and what exactly was going on with anything around him. But he was happy, they had this morning to spend, completely alone._

_ "I'm so glad we can spend this time together, Skippa.." Private whispered to his leader, breaking the kiss. "It just hurts so much when we can't-" His voice was cut off by Skipper's flipper, and he was met with another kiss._

"_I know, Private. It hurts so much when we can hardly ever be alone, but we have now, and I'm the happiest penguin in the world to have this, and have you.."_

_The words brought a tear to Private's eye. "I.. I've never heard you talk like that Skippa.." He whispered, the smile growing on his beak._

"_It's all true, Private. I.. I love you. I love you so much and I don't ever want to let you go..." Skipper exclaimed. Private buried his face into Skipper's chest, nuzzling it and hugging him as tightly as he could._

"_Oh, Skippa! I love you too, love you more than anything on this Earth!" He moved his face away, brushing the tears of joy from his face. Skipper looked down at him, a strange look on his face._

_ "That's why.. That's why I'm sorry..." He said softly. Private gave him a concerned look._

"_Sorry? For what? You've made me the happiest creature alive." He said with a smile, hugging the leader, but he pushed away, getting off the bed and onto the floor. He took a couple steps forward and turned around._

"_I'm.. I'm so sorry.." He whispered, and Private noticed a tear streaming down his face. He sat upright and stared at the taller penguin, who still had the strange gaze on his face._

"_What's wrong, Skippa?" He replied, worry overcoming his face._

_ Skipper said nothing, he only stared at the ground, completely still. Private got up and went over to his beloved, reaching out to him, but was abruptly stopped, by a forceful flipper. "NO!" Skipper screamed, making the younger penguin jump back in fright, but it was difficult, as Skipper still was grabbing his flipper, tightening his grip each second. The younger stood there for a second, surprised Skipper would do this, but he soon noticed the pain arising from his flipper._

"_Skippa, Skippa you're hurting me!" He exclaimed, but he didn't listen. "Skippa!" Nothing would snap his leader out of it. Private tried to release the grip, but failed, as Skipper was much stronger than he._

"_Skippa, please! You're really hurting me!" The little penguin choked out, a small tear forming in his eye. _

_ His entire world started to spin, he wasn't even sure where they were, just that his beloved wouldn't ease his grip. The HQ around him faded, almost as if it had disintegrated, and behind it there was an unfamiliar setting. It looked to be a bedroom of some sort. But it was nearly completely dark, the only thing lighting the room was the moonlight outside shining brightly through the cracked window above them. The window had looked tinted red, but he couldn't be sure if it was supposed to look that way. Private wondered when it had become night-time, but his thoughts were interrupted by the pain in his flipper. Skipper was still grasping him as hard as he could._

"_P-Please..Stop.." He managed to whisper. Just then, his leader's face shot up, but something was wrong. Completely wrong._

_ Skipper's face seemed odd, as if he had just come back from a mission. But there was something different. It looked like he barely made it out of a mission. His head was covered in dirt and blood, small scratches in various places, and his eyes were clenched shut, as in what seemed to be pain. His body was just as bloody, but he didn't see as much cuts. His left flipper was crooked, indicating he had been badly injured there. Private's eyes darted across his body in fear, noticing every injury, every cut and bruise. He tried to speak, but no words came out. All he could do was stand there. He felt tears swell up in his eyes. Who the hell did this to him? Where were they? Why was this happening?_

_ The young penguin noticed one more thing: Skipper had been stabbed, in the chest, and it was extremely deep. Blood was still pouring out of the wound, and Private gasped in horror. He tried once again to release the grip, so he could help his leader, but once he tried the grip tightened, more than before, sending out a wave of pain to Private. He screamed, clenching his eyes shut. But once he opened them, the grip softened. _

_ The little penguin looked up in horror, and gasped at the sight. Skipper's eyes were now open, and he was now gazing into Private, but there was something horribly wrong. His eyes, they were completely white, it almost seemed as if they were glowing eerily. His beak was now open barely, and a stream of blood was trailing out. Private backed away, stumbling over on something on the wood floor._

"_Skippa... what happened?" He whispered, his entire body shaking. Skipper still stared at him, and his beak started to move._

"_I..I'm so sorry.." He whispered., and his entire body seemed to fade away from the room. _

"_Skippa? Skippa! Where are you?" Private screamed, tears running down his cheeks._

_ He jumped up, his eyes jumping across the room in search for his leader, but he was gone. Completely gone, leaving him alone, in this horrible room, in a house where he had no idea was. His thoughts were thrown away by the sound of what seemed to be a door creaking open. Private slowly turned around, still shaking, but he finally saw a wooden door come into his view. It slowly opened, revealing a dark hallway. Private ran out, in hopes he would find his beloved, but he came to no avail._

_ Private swore he heard a noise, it sounded like a distant moan, but he couldn't be sure. He decided to follow it, in hopes he would find a friendly face. He wandered the straight hallway for what seemed like hours, each minute the screams would become louder, increasing the fear in the little penguin, but he stopped when he saw a small light coming from a doorway to his right. The light quickly faded and came back into view, meaning someone was in there. _

_ "...S-Skippa..?" He whispered, but there still wasn't an answer. He slowly walked to the doorway, unsure if he should open it or not. He slowly reached his flipper out to the knob. When he grabbed a hold of it, he got an extremely dark feeling in his body, like if he opened the door something horrible would happen. He swallowed hard and tightened his grip, only to be stopped by the sound of a deafening scream. It sounded more like 3 screams. His eyes widened as he looked below him and saw a puddle of dark blood seeping from the other side._

_ He heard another scream, but this time he was sure it was Skipper's. It rang through his ears violently as each scream from him became louder and more painful. The little penguin finally couldn't take anymore and he flew the door open, shrieking in horror at what he saw._

_ All of his teammates were massacred, each in different spots in the room. Kowalski was sprawled out on a bed, his limbs were missing and there was what appeared to be a kitchen knife in his chest. Rico was, for the most part, by a dresser near the bed. Private could only see half of his body, but what he saw nearly made him vomit. He slowly looked up at a table in the center of the room. He saw a dark figure, with odd tools and devices in his hands. Each one was covered in the blood of his comrades. It didn't look human._

_ Then he saw it. His lover was sprawled on the table, strapped down. He was covered in the most blood, and Private could tell that the cuts on him were fresh. Every part of his leader was cut or bruised. And the figure kept cutting, somehow finding a new spot to mutilate his beloved. With each cut, the leader screamed out._

"_Arggh! Private! Im so sorry! Forgive me, Private! I'm so sorry!" Skipper continued to scream. Private couldn't take it. He began to sob, and then yelled out, _

"_Skippa!" The screaming seemed to stop. Everything stopped. Private looked up. The dark figure stared at him, his eyes burning red. He reached out and pointed to the terrified penguin._

_ "You're... next..." He whispered as he grabbed an axe from the table. Private backed away. What was going on? How could this have happened? The figure raised the axe, and just as he shot it down on Skipper's pained face, Private clenched his eyes shut and screamed. He screamed as loud as he could, for as long as he could. He could feel the tears pour down, but he continued. He realized he was "next" and he should run, but he sat there, curling himself up, and kept crying, just waiting for his time to come._

But it didn't come. Private unclenched his eyes, still sobbing lightly as he checked his surroundings. He was no longer in that horrible house, with his dead teammates. He was in a rather uncomfortable bed, in a small room enveloped in sunlight. The young penguin looked horrified, but he realized what had been going on. It was a dream. Just a horrible nightmare. He shakily stepped off from his bed and into the tiny bathroom connected to his the room where he slept. He hopped up on the step-stool and turned the faucet on, letting the cold water brush through his feathers gently.

"It... It's only a dream.. he whispered to himself. He looked out the window to his right, and noticed a large mansion looking over the bluff only about a half-mile away. Private took a small step back when he saw a window. The window was cracked rather badly, and it was tinted a dark red. Suddenly the images flashed back into the penguin's mind, every horrible second of it. He stared into the window, and he could swear he saw a... a dark figure. Staring at him. His eyes were shining a blood red. The figure slowly moved his hand out, pointing his finger towards the cottage in which Private resided.

The small penguin's eyes widened, but he tried to forget it as he jumped down and quickly walked to his bed, folding the sheets up and making them tidy. He cautiously turned around, as if the figure would be right behind him, and looked back at the house. The figure was gone, but the dark feeling inside Private wasn't. "It's just a dream..." He whispered.

"...Right?"


	3. Chapter 3: Encounter

A/N: Hey, just kinda realized I never put up a disclaimer, so yeah, I don't own anything except for the idea of this story. Enjoy! And please review, im looking for as much imput as possible!

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><p><strong>Soulless<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: <strong>

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><p>Private slowly walked into the living room of the cottage he liked to call his home. It was a nice wood cottage, deep in the forest and away from all interaction whatsoever. He really wasn't sure where exactly he was, but he knew he was safe here. But that wasn't what troubled him. He sat down on the leather couch and flipped on the television, still worried about the nightmare he had.<p>

Sure, he had nightmares. A lot, actually, ever since he left. He knew all the stress and hurt he had inside was flowing out during his dreams, and the scariest dream he had was the reliving of that horrible day Skipper left him. But this, this was so different. It seemed so real. So horribly real. Every moment, every terrifying scene, it was just too much.

Private quickly went back into his room and opened the duffel bag he managed to pack before leaving his former home. He shuffled around it and once he found what he was looking for, he lightly smiled. It was the picture of him and Skipper on the tower of the zoo. He always looked at it and kept it near him when he didn't feel safe. He stared into the photograph and felt his flipper over it, stopping when it met Skipper's face.

"Oh, Skippa..." He whispered. "I miss you so much.."

He could feel the tears forming, and quickly put the photo away, wiping his eyes. He should've known better than to dwell on his past, it only brought back bad memories. But seeing him with his true love made him feel so secure, like nothing could ever hurt him. He knew he would get hurt, he had been hurt so many times just thinking of his past. All the happy moments he shared with Skipper, they were all gone, and he knew he could never bring them back.

The little penguin sighed deeply. He wished so much on his journey that he could just return and everything would be back to normal. But he knew deep in his heart nothing would ever be the same no matter what. So he kept on running, running away from it all, trying to hide it away and forget about it. Private knew that wasn't the best solution, but he didn't know where to turn. He just tried to forget, but he wasn't sure if there weren't some memories he'd like to keep.

He sniffled lightly, remembering all the times he had felt so loved by Skipper. All of it, the kisses and intimate feelings, were they just lies? Private slowly began to feel an anger growing inside him. Was Skipper just using him? Pretending to love him, for what? The feeling of love? Private remembered the times they spent together, how many times Skipper would exclaim his love for him, and it was all a lie.

"Dammit!" Private screamed, slamming his fist down on the bed frame. He let the tears flow now as he lay in the bed. He wanted nothing more than to be with Skipper, but after all that happened, he honestly didn't know if he would be able to forgive him, no matter how much it hurt.

"Oh, what am I thinking?" He said to himself , still crying. "I'll never see him again, he's gone. They're all gone..." He closed his eyes, wishing all of it could go away. But his eyes shot open as he heard a sound. It sounded almost like a car-door shutting. He ran to the window and gasped at the parked van in front of him. A family poured out and walked happily to the cottage.

"Oh, no. No, no no!" Private said to himself. He didn't know the cottage was occupied, especially since he had been staying there for nearly a month. He scurried out of the room, making sure he had all of his belongings in his bag. The little penguin looked for the nearest window, and quickly ran to it once he found it. He pulled the glass window open, jumping out just in time before the family walked in.

The young penguin looked at the forest before him. "Where am I supposed to go now?" He asked himself. He stayed in that cottage for so long now that he thought he was never going to have to leave. He sighed as he began his journey into the unknown, not sure of where it would lead him or what would happen during. He just hoped that nothing would go wrong...

It had been nearly 4 hours since Private had attempted to find a new home, but still he could not find one suitable. He was blindly wandering the forest. _'I need to find shelter soon, or ill be stuck out here for the night..'_ He thought to himself, realizing it was almost dark. He managed to find a trail in the woods and was now following it in hopes of the shelter he most desperately needed. Private slowed his pace as he realized the trail was in the direction of the mansion on the bluff. He swallowed hard. He'd thought of going to the mansion, but only if he really needed to. He still had the insidious feeling in his gut, and the more he walked the trail, the more it seemed to grow in his body.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. It sounded like a voice, but he couldn't tell what or who it was.

"_Private.."_

Private froze. His name being spoken sent a chill through his spine. He quickly turned around, but no one was there. His breathing refused to return to normal. Of course there wasn't anyone here, no one out here would know him. This was unfamiliar territory, and he couldn't be sure if that made it all the more scarier since he clearly heard his name being whispered out in the night.

It was so strange though, it sounded so familiar, it almost made him feel secure. He sighed deeply and turned around, stopping dead in his tracks at what he saw.

The dark figure.

It was right in the middle of the trail, staring him down. How had it known his name? Private stood there, frozen at the horrible sight. Was It real, or just some crazed hallucination? The figure suddenly lurched forward, making Private nearly topple over at the sudden movement. The figure was now mere inches away from the young penguin. Private noticed that even close up, the figure was still just a dark formation, with nothing to be seen, except for those chilling red eyes. They seemed to burn through Private as he stood there, speechless.

Suddenly, the figure spoke, but Private could barely understand the words as they slowly left the unknown figures lips. "You're...next..." Private let out a low whimper, closing his eyes tightly as the figure moved closer, reaching his arm out slowly. The little penguin could now feel the figures presence near him, and he couldn't handle anymore. He let out a scream, and ran past the figure, going along the trail as fast as he could. Every couple of moments, he would look back to see if it was following him, but so far he had seen nothing.

The young penguin slowed to a stop and began panting. He had been running for at least five minutes, to where, he had no idea. But soon, his suspicions and fears were realized as he looked up at what was before him. The shadows of the night made it no less clear that the young penguin was now at the foot of the mansion he desperately tried to refuse to enter. But where was there to go now? He had no home, and this was the closest thing to one. Plus, he wasn't sure if he was still being followed or not..

Suddenly, he heard voices. He slammed his head in his flipper, wishing his crazy delusions would just go away. But as the voices continued, Private realized something. The voices, they seemed so familiar, so welcoming. They brought him back to a time where he had no worries. He instantly started to think about Skipper. The little penguin sighed deeply, wiping away a lone tear as he went to investigate the mysterious voices. They almost sounded like they were coming from inside, but he could barely make out less than half of the words being spoken

_"I don't care, K-..sk-! We need to –t home now!" _

The commanding tone in the mysterious voice brought him back to the past again, reminding him of all the times he had spent with his beloved, but he tried to edge them away as he continued to listen. Another voice was heard. It was less clear, as it was much quieter, but Private could make out some.

_ "Sorr-. S-..er. I'll h-e our vehicle fixe- s..n"_

Vehicle? Perhaps Private wouldn't have to stay here tonight! He jumped on a nearby trash bin and peeked inside. There were three figures, all very short, but still taller than Private. They couldn't have been humans, so Private had thought he would have a better chance of negotiating a free ride with them. Private was still nervous, though. he had no idea who these animals were. They could be friendly, or they could be enemies. He shivered at the thought of having to fight again. After he left the team, he vowed never to fight again, in hopes that he could forget everything. But soon the memories flowed back in.

Private took in his considerations, but finally decided to enter the mansion. Slowly, he opened the door, staring at the three figures, who noticed the young Private, and were now forming into some sort of battle position. It looked so nostalgic, almost like...

"P-P-Private?" A voice nearly shrieked out shakily. Private instantly knew that voice. He took a few steps forward, his mouth agape as he stared into the speaker's eyes. They were ice blue, and they

were glistening in the dull moonlight. They stared back into his, in disbelief, as were Private's.

"Oh my god..." They both seemed to whisper out at the same time, still taking cautious steps forward. The moonlight from a nearby window now radiated on the two, and Private could see every part of his face. It was unchanged, still more beautiful than anything in the universe. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Skippa.."


	4. Chapter 4: Together and Alone

A/N: This one might be a bit long, I tried writing 2 chapters, but one of them was really short, but whatever. R&R!

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><p><strong>Soulless<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Together<strong>

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><p><span>2 hours earlier...<span>

Skipper sighed at the sight of the unresponsive car in front of him. "Kowalski..Status report." He said in a low, but commanding tone. The strategist took out his clipboard and began writing. "It seems our engine has stalled, Skipper." He replied, putting away the clipboard and giving him a concerned, but somewhat annoyed look. The leader tried to ignore it, but after an awkward silence he finally asked, "What is it, Kowalski?"

"Well, Skipper.." He started, rubbing his flippers together nervously, "Why did we even come out here?" Skipper looked away quickly, but turned back after a moment. "You know, Kowalski. I.. I just thought we needed a vacation is all.." The story he made up had obviously not worked, as Kowalski was still staring at him, the suspicion growing in his eyes.

"What?" The leader asked, giving the intelligent penguin an angry glance. Kowalski was now trying to fix the engine, but he clearly heard the anger in Skipper. "I don't know, Skipper. Why would we vacation in the middle of the forest? Why couldn't we just go to the beach or something, like I suggested? But no, we had to go here!" The anger was swelling up inside the both of them, and now Skipper had moved close to Kowalski, his face was nearly pressing up against his.

"Don't question my orders, soldier, and just get that car fixed!" Skipper yelled, pushing the other softly. Kowalski had stopped working and was now facing the leader. "I could possibly get it done if you would let me have my work space!" He yelled back with a shove to the shorter penguin. Skipper was now furious, and he shoved Kowalski with all of his strength. The strategist fell to the ground, but arose quickly enough to jump on Skipper and pin him down.

They were both at each others' throats, cursing back and forth as loud as they could. Rico, who had fallen asleep halfway through their journey, had awoken due to the screaming. He instantly saw the two and ran towards them, pulling them off of each other. They had managed to calm down, and were now sitting on the deserted road, glancing angrily at one another every couple moments. Skipper, unable to bear the awkward silence, ordered Rico to find a shelter for the night, leaving them alone.

After what seemed like hours, Kowalski gave a heavy sigh and began to speak. "Skipper, I'm sorry for the way I acted. It's just, with all this stress going on, with you and Marlene breaking the marriage off and-" Skipper shot up at the last words. "I told you not to talk about that!" The strategist lowered his head, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry, sir. But with that, and... and Private leaving..." They were both silent after that for quite some time.

Kowalski, being the genius he was, finally started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. He looked up and faced Skipper. "Sir.. Is Private what this is all about? " The leader lowered his head, pulling out a photograph and staring at it contently. The intelligent penguin moved near Skipper, putting his flipper around him. It was then that he noticed the tears forming in the leader's eyes.

"I tried, Kowalski." He said, his voice shaking. "I tried so goddamn hard to find him... I think I could go anywhere and he'd be there, waiting. And every time I think I'm on his trail, he's...he's gone.. " He then wrapped himself around Kowalski, letting the tears slowly fall. "I just want him back, Kowalski.. I want my Private back.." Kowalski put another flipper around his distraught leader. "I miss him too. But don't worry, Skipper. We'll find him. We have to.." The two of them hoped Kowalski's statement was true..

After Rico returned with the news that he'd found a suitable shelter overlooking a bluff, the others were off, all not knowing that this would be their reunion with the one they missed most, and perhaps their last time seeing each other...

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><p>"...Kowalski, Rico: search the house for any rooms and food." Private heard Skipper command in a very low voice, after he finally regained his wits. They'd found him. They'd found Private. Or, Private had found them, to be exact. It was almost unbelievable. Seeing him there, staring at him with the same look of disbelief. Though he couldn't tell if they really wanted to find him or not. Kowalski and Rico quickly left, leaving the two alone.<p>

After what seemed like hours of silence, Skipper moved forward, reaching his flipper out. Private did the same, unsure of what was happening, but hoping Skipper would take him in his arms. But soon he felt himself hit the ground hard, his face stinging with pain. He felt his face with a look of shock, staring up at his former commander. Skipper had slapped him. Hard.

"How.. How could you, Private?" The young penguin heard Skipper scream, moving toward him, as if to bring on another flipper to his face. "How the hell could you abandon the team like that?" Private was silent. He couldn't answer, mainly out of shock due to what was happening around him, but also because he didn't want to anger Skipper anymore. He noticed Skipper raised his flipper, but before he moved it down, he yelled, "You.. You're a traitor."

That hit Private hard. More than the flipper from before. Skipper shot his flipper down, but was stopped abruptly by Private's. He couldn't be silent now. He stood up, moving menacingly over to the former leader. "I'm a traitor?" He screamed back. "How's about you, Skippa?" As much as Skipper loved to hear his voice once again, he kept his rage-filled gaze. "What are you talking about, sold-..Private!" Private moved forward, raising his flippers dramatically.

"I knew about you and Marlene! The whole time you were just using me! And then you and her..!" Skipper stood there, bewildered. the young penguin felt his eyes getting wet, and before he knew it, he was sobbing. He managed to keep the anger in his voice, though. "You're the traitor!" He screamed out before getting another flipper from the taller penguin. It almost seemed like Skipper did it out of impulse, as he looked shocked at what he did. He turned around, trying not to let his own tears show, before speaking again.

"..Those matters aside,You left the team, Private. You betrayed us all!" Private stood up, feeling his sore face before turning to the hall. "You want to know why I left, Skippa? It was you! I don't know why I thought I loved you, you're a horrible person!" He yelled out with what dignity he had left before he ran out of the room, leaving Skipper to sit there. Private had never seen nor heard his fearless former leader cry at all, but he knew those words shattered him on the inside, as he could hear the soft weeping echoing through the hallway as he ran. Ran like he always did. But he knew this was one thing he just couldn't escape...

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><p>Private had managed to find a bathroom in the large house, and was sitting on the toilet seat, sulking. How could he have said that? The poor, innocent Private told off Skipper. He ran his flipper through the feathers of his face, wincing at the spot where he had been hit twice. He wanted to see the leader more than anything in the world, and when he finally got the chance, he completely ruined it. He ran the scenarios through his mind of what could've happened if he just kept his mouth shut.<p>

But everything was said and done, and there was no way to change it, no matter how much he'd have loved to be in Skipper's arms right now. He suddenly balled his flipper into a fist. No. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Skipper, even if it was what he wanted more than anything in the world. It would definitely hurt, but after what he did, he just didn't know anymore.

He got up and hopped to the sink, sitting down and staring at the musty reflection of himself. He was a mess. A shadow of his former self. The once always cheery ice blue eyes were now replaced with a dark and sullen pale blue, with short bags under them. His happy-go-lucky expressions were matched with a blank beak, slightly drooping, as if to enhance his depressed image. He rubbed his flipper through his feathers thoughtfully. Before, they were a bright white, complimenting the once chipper penguin. But now, he noticed, they were slowly darkening, such as his very soul. Darkening, slowly dying out, unable to return.

"No.." He whispered softly, sniffling. He didn't want any of this to happen. He was a fool to leave, but he would have just ended up the same way eventually if he stayed. It was as if the gods themselves made it so he were to always suffer. But why? Why him? Why this situation? Why here, why now? He couldn't explain any of it. He just wanted it to go away, all of it. He stared at the mirror with empty eyes, and noticed the large missing piece of glass that had broken off and was now lying on the faucet. He picked it up gently, caressing it with his flipper.

He wanted everything to end so badly. There didn't seem to be any hope of things working out. He waited so long for something to change, but nothing did. He held the shard of glass in one flipper, moving it to his other. It was the same depressing story all over again. Nothing would ever change, unless he forced it too.

He slowly let the edge of the glass sink into his flipper, and along with it the blood that followed. He felt the pain, but noticed it wasn't from his flipper. It was in his chest, slowly eating away at him. His heart shattered slowly over time, and he could feel every bit of it. His vision blurred, and slowly he felt himself tilt back, off of the sink, and onto the hard linoleum floor. The shard in his flipper shattered, but he barely heard it. The world around him was slowly dissolving again as he dragged himself to the corner of the room, letting his vision go dark.

The last thing he saw was what looked like Skipper, running into the room near him...


	5. Chapter 5: Sleep

A/N: Sorry it's taking me a while to update, I was going through a bit of a writer's block, but anyway enjoy!

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><p>The next few minutes that followed were hazy. Private couldn't tell where he was or what was around him. But soon, the vision of the HQ entered his eyes...<p>

_The young Private sat contently on the couch, his leader right beside him, watching the television, though the little penguin's eyes were not fixed to the screen, but instead they were on Skipper. The leader noticed this after a while and chuckled._

_ "What're you looking at?" He asked jokingly, smirking smugly at the smaller penguin. Private smiled now and moved closer. _

_ "Well," He started, moving his flipper around in a circle on the couch, _

_ "I was just thinking that since the others were gonna be gone for a while, we could maybe..." He began to trail off as the leader brought the young penguin's beak to his, bringing him into a long kiss. When they parted, Private noticed the same smirk on the leader's face._

_ "Exactly what I was thinking.." He whispered seductively, slowly moving off of the couch._

_ He waddled in front of Private and lifted him up, kissing him once more when their faces met. He brought them to the bunks, where he set the little penguin on the bottom bed. Private barely had time to react as Skipper moved his beak to his own, enveloping him in another kiss. He felt his eyes slowly close, letting himself be taken in by the overpowering lust inside them both. _

Private watched as the vision blurred away. The memory they had together, he could remember every single detail, as if it were imprinted into his brain. He slowly felt himself dream on, another memory coming into view.

_It was a late night in the HQ. The thunder was roaring outside, and rain pelted the topside so hard you could hear it from the inside. But that wasn't a problem for the 3 penguins snoring away in their bunks. Private hadn't been able to sleep at all that night, what with the raging storm outside. And the fact that they had a monster movie night didn't help much._

_ The young penguin's thoughts shot away with another round of thunder, sending him off the bunk and onto the cold, hard cement. Skipper must've heard, because now Private could hear him stirring in his sleep._

_ "Ungh... W-who's there?" He called out, still half asleep. Private waddled over to the bunk, a worried expression on his face._

_ "Sorry, Skippa. I couldn't sleep.." He whispered out, hoping he wouldn't just be told to get over his fears and sleep. _

_ The leader looked at him with a disappointed, but not surprised expression on his face, though Private could barely notice in the darkness of the HQ._

_ "C'mon, soldier." He scoffed, putting his flipper on the young penguin's shoulder. "You can't still be afraid of the storms, can you?" Private looked down guiltily, nervously rubbing his flippers together._

_ "Well, Skippa, it's just that the storm is so bad outside, and.. and I keep hearing noises and..and" He suddenly began to sob, burying his head in his flippers._

_ "I'm sorry, Skippa.." He whimpered out, sniffling, "I'm such a wimp..."_

_ The leader jumped down from his bunk and held Private with both of his flippers._

_ "Now you listen to me soldier," He said sharply, a hint of anger in his voice. Private cowered down a little. Even though they were a couple then, there wasn't much of a special treatment towards Private. Skipper always kept his work at a top priority. That was one of the many things Private loved about Skipper, but he still figured he would have gotten yelled at or perhaps slapped to get his senses back. But instead, the leader softened his grip, and looked straight into his eyes._

_ "You are not a wimp, no matter what anyone tells you. You are strong. Hell, You're one of the strongest animals in the zoo!" He continued, smiling softly afterward. Private smiled too. It seemed Skipper knew exactly what to say to make him feel better. He felt Skipper lean in and he did the same. Soon the two were kissing passionately in the silent darkness of their home. The moment ended when another roar of thunder shook the HQ, making the smaller penguin shake in fear._

_ "..Sorry, Skippa.." He said in a low voice shortly after. Skipper chuckled quietly and wrapped himself around Private, holding him close and nuzzling his beak across the young penguin's head. Private looked up at the leader._

_ "Could..Could I sleep with you tonight?" He asked, staring into the others eyes. Skipper smiled once more and moved his flippers to Private's, slowly leading him to the bunks._

_ "Sure." He whispered, kissing him softly and bringing him to the bed..._

It was almost like watching a television, but with all of the happy memories Private had with Skipper. Why were the memories so hard to forget? He didn't want to remember what happened, it would hurt too much. But it seemed every time he was close to forgetting everything, all the images would come back into view. Private slowly began to feel himself awaken. The once dark void of his dreams was now replaced with a blurred vision of what looked like a bedroom, but he couldn't tell. He heard a voice. It was soothing, almost like it brought a warm feeling to his heart. He soon realized the voice was Skipper's...


	6. Chapter 6: Strange Happenings

Hope you like it!:D R&R! Oh, and the KowalskixRico part is taking place right when they left, during Skipper and Private's confrontation. R&R!

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><p><strong>Soulless<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Strange Happenings<strong>

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><p>"Alright, Rico." Kowalski said, pulling out his beloved clipboard and staring at it intently as the two stared down the narrow hallway. "This residence has a perimeter approximately of twenty-five by twenty-five feet, and 3 floors. I guess we should start looking for bedrooms on this floor." He began to walk, but noticed Rico wouldn't move. "What's wrong?" The strategist asked quizzically. Rico just had the most bewildered expression on his face. Kowalski almost knew instantly what he was thinking.<p>

"W-what?" He asked nervously. Rico brought his flipper to his face, slowly shaking his head, then waddled to Kowalski, slapping him hard. The intelligent penguin, who was now on the ground in shock, looked up at the weapons expert. "Priiate!" He grunted out loudly, moving his flippers drastically towards where they entered. Kowalski was right, Rico was worried about Private. Skipper would chew him out for sure, but what could he do? The taller penguin stood up slowly, putting his flipper on Rico's shoulder.

"I know you're worried about Private, Rico.." He said softly. "But don't worry, he'll be fine. Skipper... Skipper loves him too much to hurt him..." Rico slowly nodded in understanding, and they continued to walk.

For such a large house, there really wasn't many rooms. At least on the first floor, anyway. There was a kitchen, a dining room, two bathrooms, a porch, and a small four-seasons room. The kitchen was nearly emptied out, with barely any food remaining, and the rest all rotten or spoiled. The furniture in the dining room was in no better shape, either. Many chairs were scattered around the floor in dismay, and the dining table had been broken, nearly in half.. The strategist couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this place. It was completely deserted, yet he always had this feeling, like he was being... watched. He decided to try and shake it off as he went to go look for Rico. The two had split up to make the work go by faster. Kowalski was walking back to the main room when he noticed something...unsettling. In the almost complete darkness of the mansion, he hadn't noticed a door in the center of the hallway.

He passed it by, but stopped dead in his tracks, right in front of it. It was almost like something – or someone – had done that for him. He stared at the doorway, and began to feel lightheaded. The more he stared at it, the more menacing it seemed. "Ugh." He scoffed, shaking his head. "It's just a door!" He said, chuckling lightly as he reached for it. But right as his flipper touched the doorknob, he suddenly felt...scared. More scared than ever. His heart was racing, but he didn't know why. It had felt like he had just witnessed a murder. He couldn't describe why he felt this. There was no scientific explanation for this. This..was just weird.

He couldn't take the anticipation anymore, and he swung the door open. It was dark, but the strategist could make out a long staircase going down. "This must be the basement.." He mumbled softly, trying to see if he could see into the darkness. He looked around, but his eyes stopped instantly at the stairs. There was a very distinct trail of a red liquid going into the shuttering darkness. Was this...blood? The tall penguin shakily knelt down and slowly moved his flipper to the substance. He stopped when his flipper reached it, and his eyes widened.

The blood was fresh.

Kowalski backed away, his eyes still completely wide. He didn't want to stare at it anymore, and quickly slammed the door shut. "Walski!" Kowalski shrieked, a little more feminine than he had planned, at the sudden yell from his teammate. Rico burst out laughing, but started to get more serious when he noticed the pale expression on Kowalski's face. He knelt down near him, worried. The taller penguin faked a smile and looked up at Rico.

"I'm fine.." He reassured as he stood up again. "C'mon, let's go find the others."

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><p>"Private! Private! C'mon, Private! Wake up!" The small penguin could hear the former leader screaming, but he couldn't see him at all. All he could see was darkness. Could he still be asleep? No. The sudden extreme pain in his arm told him otherwise. His eyes shot open at the new pain, and when he did, he was met with a sobbing Skipper, his head buried on Private's chest feathers. It felt good. He looked at his body. When was he this skinny? He had always remembered being more on the chubby side, but that wasn't what caught his eye. His flipper was blood-soaked, the red liquid seeping through the sheets and on Skipper. He also noticed it had been poorly bandaged. He weakly chuckled. Skipper never was good at first-aid. Skipper stopped sobbing and looked up. "P-Private?" He said, sniffling and wrapping his flippers around the small penguin.<p>

Skipper was nearly on top of him, and it made the little penguin turn a shade of red. But then he realized what just happened. "Skippa..." He whispered. "You're..You're crying?" The former leader pulled away and stared into Private's eyes, chuckling softly as he wiped his tears away. "Yeah.. 'Ol Skipper finally broke down.." He tried to joke. "...Why did you do it?" He asked softly. Private looked down. Could he tell Skipper he couldn't live without him? What would happen? Private guessed now was a better time than ever to just open up. He took a deep breath and stared at Skipper

"Skippa.. I don't think I can live without you.. I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to be alone again.." He choked out, and began to sob. Skipper held him again in his flippers, making sure not to touch his wound.

"Private.." He whispered back. "You'll never be alone again.. I promise! I don't ever want you to feel like this ever again.. I'm so sorry, for everything. Please.. Please just forgive me..I'm so sorry.." Private looked up. Could he really do this? What if Skipper hurt him again? The little penguin remembered the glass shard, and shivered softly. But there was something in the former leader's voice that had made Private feel so secure, like he could never be hurt again.

"I...I forgive you.." He said softly, holding Skipper even tighter. "Can...Can I be back on the team?" He asked innocently. Skipper pulled away, only for a moment, to say, "Of course you can, Private. It's not the team without you.." Private felt a tear of joy come to his eye.

Private remembered the HQ, and how wonderful it would be if he could live there again. Live there with Rico and Kowalski, and of course, Skipper. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Private thought things would be better for him. Maybe, just maybe, things would finally work out for the little penguin.

But then again, this could just be the start to something horrible...


	7. Chapter 7: Night 1

**Soulless**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Night #1<strong>

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><p>Private sat quietly on the bed, fiddling with the bandage on his right flipper nervously. Skipper said he was going to find the rest of the team, but he had been gone for almost 10 minutes now! Soon, images of Skipper and the others leaving him behind filled the poor penguin's mind, but he tried to shake them away as he hopped off the mattress and onto the wooden floor. He quickly peeked out the doorway for any sign of his leader, but came to no avail. The Private wanted so much to go look for him, just so he could be by his side, but he remembered the leader's last words before leaving Private alone:<p>

_"I'm gonna gather the team. Whatever you do, Private, Stay. Here. You're not well, and you need to rest."_

The small penguin sighed heavily. He didn't know why Skipper still treated him like a child. He could clearly take care of himself, he was on his own for 3 months straight! But then again, one of the things he loved most about Skipper was how much he really cared for the little penguin and how protective he was of him. Private smiled weakly to himself as he turned around, only to trip on his feet and stumble to the floor.

He cursed himself for not being more aware of what was really going on around him, but soon realized why he wasn't. His stomach roared loudly with hunger. He hadn't eaten anything all day! That alone was making the poor penguin disoriented. The little soldier rubbed his tummy thoughtfully before making his final decision.

"I don't think Skippa will notice I'm gone for a little snack.." He said to himself, giggling lightly as he left his room in search for a meal...

_**MEANWHILE...**_

__Skipper had successfully found the rest of the team on the first floor and was now heading up the stairs with them. It was nearly silent, with the exception of the crickets being heard chirping away outside, so Skipper tried to break whatever tension there was since Private arrived.

"So, men... Did you find anything useful?" He said, still unsure of what to say. For some reason, it seemed something wasn't right with the rest of the team. No, it wasn't that. Rico was still his..."Normal" self. It was Kowalski. He looked paler than ever. Even the dark ebony of his feathers seemed to hide the glow of an eerie white. But before the leader could question, they arrived at their destination.

Skipper had already searched the entire second floor by himself, only to find two bedrooms, so they would have to share for the night.

"Well, here's your room, men. Try to get some sleep, we'll have a lot of work to do tomorrow morning." The others just looked at him quizzically, and Skipper knew why.

"Sorry," He said, smirking, "I couldn't find any other rooms, so you two lovebirds will have to share for the night, hehe." Kowalski and Rico, who were groaning in disapproval, entered the room nonetheless, but Skipper stopped the strategist before he could get in.

"Is something wrong, soldier?" He asked, still noticing the genius's pale and frightened expression. Kowalski remembered what he saw earlier, but it couldn't have really been fresh blood, could it be? He regained his posture before answering.

"I-I'm fine, Skipper." He quickly said before turning into the room, but he stopped suddenly.

"Um..Skipper, sir? Could I ask you about-" He asked in a low voice, before being cut off by Skipper's flipper. The leader could already predict what the strategist was going to ask about. Of course it was about Private.

"Don't worry, Kowalski." He said in a reassuring tone. "Private's fine. Everything's alright between us now." Kowalski smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it, sir. Is..is he...?" Once again, Skipper knew what Kowalski was going to ask.

"Yes, Kowalski. Our little Private's coming back home with us." He said, smiling himself now. The intelligent penguin nodded and mumbled a 'Goodnight' before closing the door slightly and waddling to his bed, where Rico was already fast asleep.

Skipper turned to the direction of his room, still smiling. _'This is it!'_ He thought. _'I'm finally going to get my Private back!'_ He suddenly stopped. What if Private didn't _want_ to be his anymore? He looked at the ground as he waddled across the dark hallway in thought. _'He can't live without me..'_ He repeated the small penguin's words in his head. What did it mean? Did Private still love _him_, or did he just need to come back? He quickly slapped himself for that thought. It didn't matter if Private loved him or not, he was coming back, and everything was going to be normal again. And that was more than Skipper ever wanted. He smiled again, now dawning on the past he and Private shared in what seemed like years ago.

But suddenly, all his thoughts were pushed away as he heard a distant shriek of terror coming from the depths of the shadows...

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><p>The young Private searched the gloomy halls for any signs of a late night snack, but the more he explored the mansion's halls, the more hungry he became. He thought he was about to collapse any minute now.<p>

"Oh.." He mumbled to himself. "I hope I can find something to eat.." The little penguin looked around, only to find more corridors leading to seemingly pointless rooms. He had no idea where he was, not even a clue on what floor he was on, but he kept walking forward. He was determined to find something along the way.

After what seemed like a lifetime of searching and passing through halls he was almost positive he passed before, Private finally gave up and decided to turn back.

Now..which way was back?

The poor penguin now suddenly realized he was lost, and hastily looked around for something that seemed familiar, but everything looked different. Whatever he could make out, anyway. Half the time he was walking, Private was just wondering around in the dark. He fidgeted with his flippers nervously. Someone would surely come looking for him...right? The little private decided it was best to just turn around and go back, but as he turned around, something stopped him.

A wooden door to his side suddenly creaked open, ever so slowly, showing what seemed like blackness to Private. But the little penguin was frozen in shock, staring into the deep darkness as if expecting something to happen. And it did. Private could now make out a bedroom, about the size of the one he was residing in for the night, but something was different. The room seemed to have a brightness, though Private couldn't tell from where. What seemed like light from a candle illuminated the gloomy room, and Private could see a desk right across from where he was standing in the doorway.

It was old, almost looked like it was from the 19th century. On it was an oil lamp, most likely what caused the brightness, Private thought. There was also what looked like a music box and a mirror in the center. In front of the desk there was a small rocking chair, big enough to hold a small child, Private guessed. But it wasn't the chair that caught his attention. It was the flat-headed penguin, a little taller than he was, sitting on it, that caught his eye.

The small penguin took a shaky step forward, and as he did, an eerily calming chime illuminated from the music box. It was almost like a child's tune, yet Private didn't feel any calmer.

"S-Skippa..?" He called out quietly. There was no response, only the dull creak of the chair rocking back and forth. He took another step forward, only to jump slightly at stepping on a loose floorboard. The creaking suddenly stopped. The music did as well. It was almost like every single thing in that room had just completely stopped moving. Private stared carefully at the chair, hoping to get a better look, but was only met with Skipper's backside. He took a deep breath and waddled forward.

"C-cmon, Skippa, stop joking around.." He whispered in a panicked tone. He didn't want to be in here anymore. He just wanted to go back into his bed and dream this night away. There still wasn't an answer from the motionless penguin. Private moved his flipper forward.

"Skippa.." He whispered once more, and put his flipper on the chair.

The chair lurched back, toppling over right in front of Private. He screamed as loud as he could at what he saw: Skipper lay lifeless on the back of the chair. His eyes were rolled back and his beak was wide open. In his chest there was a kitchen knife, it was pierced right through the penguin's heart, and unseen blood was now pouring out over the chair. Private tried his best to keep his composure, but failed as he stumbled back onto the floor. He screamed once again as he got himself up and towards the door, now running as fast as his feet could take him.

Tears swelled in his eyes as he darted through the hall. How could this have happened? Skipper was dead. He was alone, and he could be next. Once again, he tripped on his feet and was brought to the ground. He landed hard on his shoulder, and heard a cracking noise. That, and the immense pain coming from his shoulder, told him he had broken or at least chipped a bone in his flipper. He was too weak to get up. Too weak to even move. He just lay there, sobbing on the floor.

"S-Skippa...No.." He cried out. The poor penguin managed to get on his bottom, but even that proved to be a challenge. What he saw next made him wish he never got up.

The dark figure.

There it was, once again, staring him down. In the dull light, Private could make out a bloodied knife in it's hand. The one used to kill Skipper. His eyes widened and he tried to shuffle back, but again found that he was too weak, or in shock, to do anything.

"S-Skippa.. Help me! Skippa!" He screamed out, as if Skipper would appear there and make everything better. But he knew this could be it for him.

The figure moved forward slowly, pointing the knife in Private's direction. The little penguin screamed Skipper's name again and again, calling for help, but it was no use. The figure lurched forward with the knife. Private clenched his eyes shut and screamed as loud as he could.

"Skippa!"

And then everything went silent

Private, who's eyes were still shut, didn't feel anything. He didn't feel any pain. Or fear, or anything. He felt, numb, as if nothing ever happened. He opened his eyes slowly. There was no dark figure anymore. And slowly, he began to feel as if he were being shaken awake. Then he heard it.

"Private! Private, wake up!" He moved his head wearily to the side, and was met with a familiar worried gaze.

"S...Skippa...?" He managed to whisper out, but the leader gently put his flipper on Private's beak.

"Shh..Shh." He whispered, still somewhat panicked. Private then felt himself being lifted up and off the ground. Skipper was carrying him. His vision was still blurred, but he could make out Skipper's face. His beautiful face was now replaced with a mixture of shock and worry. He kept hearing Skipper repeating his words.

"Everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna be alright, Private.." It almost seemed like Skipper was trying to convince himself, not Private. He turned his head, and was met with a tired Kowalski, leaving his room.

"Unghh... What's going on, sir? I heard a..." He said, rubbing his eyes. When they met Private, they suddenly got wider.

"P-Private? Skipper, what-"

"It's alright! Get back to your room, soldier!" He heard Skipper interrupt before they made their way to his room, Kowalski still followed, questions leaving his beak every few seconds, but he couldn't make any of it out. The leader must've gotten sick of it, because he slammed the door shut behind him, leaving the strategist outside.

Once Private was on the bed, he could see clearly again. A small glass was handed to him.

"Here..drink this.." He heard Skipper whisper out, his voice still a bit shaky. Private obeyed and drank the liquid down. Somehow, he felt a million times better. But one glance at himself told him otherwise. The once bandaged flipper was now unraveled. It almost looked like his wound was re-opened, as blood was leaking out slowly. The same flipper hurt more than ever at the top, the same place he landed on when he fell. His stomach had a large scrape on it, almost as if it had been cut by something...

"Oh, God Private...What happened?" He heard Skipper ask. The little penguin turned his head, but once again his vision went dark and he drifted off into sleep...


	8. Chapter 8: Tender Moment

**A/N: Please R&R!**

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><p><strong>Soulless<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Tender Moment<strong>

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><p><em>There were no dreams for the little penguin that night. There was only darkness in his mind. Unknown answers to questions, confusions, and worries all seemed to disappear from view for the short time he was asleep.<em>

_ But of course, all that changed when he awoke.._

Private shuffled softly in his bed, slowly letting one eye open to the brightness of the small lamp beside him. Memories of the previous night scattered throughout his mind, still frightening him to this moment. He shuddered, but only for a second, when the feeling of warm fabric covered his exposed little body. It was Skipper.

He smiled. "S-Skippa..?" He whispered out, only to cough lightly right after. He hadn't realized his voice was so hoarse. He tried to lift himself up on the bed, but was stopped due to the increasing pain covering his body. He let out a small shout of agony Skipper quickly put his flipper down on the little penguin comfortingly.

"Hey, hey, soldier.." He whispered out. "You shouldn't be moving. You need to rest, Private." The small penguin ignored his leader's comment, and pushed himself up to a sitting position. Skipper sighed and sat on the bed beside him, still inspecting Private's wounds.

Every time the leader's eyes would pass another cut, scrape, or bruise, he would wince, but he still sat near Private, making sure every single one was cared for. Private smiled weakly again at the caring gestures Skipper was showing. But soon, he noticed that the leader was becoming more stern.

After Skipper looked at the wounds, he sat on a chair beside the bed and waited for Private to fall back asleep, not saying a word about what happened. But the young penguin couldn't go to sleep. He wanted to tell Skipper everything that happened and hold him, so everything could be alright again. He shifted in his bed, annoyed, before sitting up once again.

Skipper looked up. "Private.." He said with a small sigh. "You _need_ to rest." Private could sense the annoyed tone in his voice, and looked down. "Sorry, Skippa.." He said in a low voice. "I just.. can't sleep... Sorry."

The leader sighed again. He knew what to do, but he couldn't bring himself to ask the little penguin what happened that night. He didn't want him to re-live anything that hurt him, especially this badly. But it would probably help him, he hadn't spoken one word of what happened, and it looked like he just needed someone to talk to for the night.

Skipper left his chair and leaped on the bed, shuffling closer to Private and staring into his eyes. Private looked confused, but he let his leader stay there. It took a while, but Skipper finally cleared his throat and began to speak.

"So, soldier. You wanna tell me what happened last night?" He asked very quietly, as if nothing that was said in the room was ever supposed to come out. Private looked down, almost guiltily. Would Skipper believe what Private had to say? The little penguin wasn't even sure if he should believe it himself. But, all the wounds proved he wasn't just going crazy..right?

Skipper slowly wrapped his flipper around Private, making the little penguin smile a bit. "You can tell me anything, Private. Don't worry." He reassured, smiling a bit himself now. Private took a deep breath before speaking.

"I..I guess I don't really _know_ what happened, Skippa." He started, looking down once more. "Ever since I've come here, I've been... seeing these things. Horrible things... and I don't know what they mean. And now.." His voice trailed off, and he began to look more frightened. "Now... I think someone or.. or something... is after me.." Private started to explain the entire story.

Skipper just sat there, starting to look frightened as well, but he kept his composure. How could he believe such a ridiculous story? Everything seemed to be just some over-exaggeration, much like when Private would get nightmares after one of their monster movie nights. But this. This was much more serious, the injuries proved that. That, and the fact that Private had definitely not made this up, just frightened the leader. He began to remember Kowalski's behavior last night, and wondered if it had anything to do with this.

Private finished the last of his story, and now he was on the verge of tears. "I know it's probably the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard, Skippa..." He whispered, sniffling. "... And I'm just some kid, and you probably think this is all in my head...But you _have_ to believe me!" He started sobbing, and he wrapped his flippers around the leader. Skipper was taken back, but soon he found himself holding the little penguin, letting him cry into his chest.

Skipper didn't know what to believe. He knew there was something odd about the house, he could feel it when he arrived, but could this really be it? He didn't know, nor did he want to. He just knew they needed to get out of there.

"It's okay.." He whispered to Private. "Whatever is happening, it'll all be over tomorrow. We're gonna head back home, and everything will be alright." Private looked up, wiping away his tears, and whispered a dull 'thank you' before burying his face in Skipper's shoulder. The leader blushed deeply, but rested his head on Private's anyway. He'd almost forgotten how sweet Private could be.

After about 5 minutes of the two holding each other, Private began to yawn. "I guess I am a bit tired.." He peeped out, smiling sheepishly and turning red when Skipper chuckled and tightened his hold on the little penguin. The leader jumped off the bed and turned to the chair. This was definitely going to be a rough night, but he knew Private would be more comfortable if it was just him on the bed.

Private looked at his leader, confused. He was going to sleep on _that?_ He began to feel guilty for being such a burden on the leader, but he smiled as he figured out what to do.

"Um, Skippa?" He said nervously. "Could.. Could you sleep with me tonight?" He expected an annoyed sigh, or even an eye-rolling from Skipper, but instead, the leader smiled contently and whispered, "Sure, Private."

The two had found their way into the bed and were now under the warm sheets. Private looked at Skipper, who was still trying to get comfortable, and spoke. "Skippa, sir..?" He said, looking down nervously. "I'd just like to thank you, for all you've done.. I don't think-" He was interrupted by two flippers moving to his shoulders.

"You don't need to thank me," He heard the leader whisper. "I'll always be there for the one I care about. You got really hurt, and..and I just couldn't bear to see you like that." Private turned a shade of red. Skipper began to speak again. "I don't want you to ever be hurt like you are right now.." He looked down. "..Or like when I hurt you deeply... I've wanted to apologize for so long... Private, I'm so sorry, and I'll never let something like that happen again, I promise.."

Private looked up, his feathers still red. "You..You really mean that, Skippa?" The leader nodded slowly before hugging the young penguin once more. "You're here with me right now and that's all that matters to me. I'll never let anyone hurt you anymore, even myself." Private hugged the leader even tighter. He couldn't believe the words leaving his leader's beak. It all seemed so unreal, like his greatest dream coming true. These were the words he longed to hear for so long, and here they were, coming from the one he loved more than anything.

The two parted, both still staring into each others' eyes, before Skipper spoke up.

"We should probably get some sleep tonight, tomorrow's gonna be a big day, you're coming back with us." He said, his beak curving up into a smile just as Private's did. The small penguin lay down on the bed. "Goodnight, Skippa." He whispered. Skipper leaned down, wrapping his flipper around Private. The leader then leaned in more, gently pressing his beak on Private's head. Private was redder than ever, but the warmth of that kiss, and feeling of Skipper wrapped around him, made him so secure. He closed his eyes, falling into slumber. The last words he heard for the night were Skipper's. and they ran throughout his mind all night.

"Goodnight, my Private... I Love you."

**I really hope you like it so far, and I just realized I've passed the 10,000 word mark for this story, so yay me:D I might end it soon, though. I'm not sure. I guess it's up to you readers to decide if I should end this story, or just keep it goin'! So, if you could be so kinds, leave some input in the reviews or PM me or whatever, it would be much appreciated :D**


	9. Chapter 9: Morning After

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a long time, I've been getting caught up with school and whatnot, but I should be able to get at least another 2 or 3 chapters up this week, so enjoy!

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><p><strong>Soulless<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Morning After<strong>

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><p><em>5:38 A.M.<em>

Private lay comfortably on his bed, Skipper's arm still around him in a loving embrace. He didn't know what, but something had awoken him. Perhaps it was just the wind, or Skipper stirring in his sleep, but Private felt it was something else. He looked down to his leader, who was smiling contently in his slumber. He absolutely adored that smile.

The young penguin tried his hardest to leave the bed without waking Skipper, and was relieved to find it was relatively simple, despite his usually light sleeping. Private smiled, wondering if being with him had made the leader sleep better last night.

Ah, last night. It was certainly an odd one, but Private couldn't imagine it ending any other way. But there was still the question bouncing around in his mind. What was happening in this house? The little penguin sat on the side of the comforter, trying to decipher what had happened the previous night. He shook his head and decided now wasn't the best time to think about it. The young penguin slowly lifted himself up and off the bed, only to be met with a great pain. He had completely forgot about the injuries.

He sat there, wincing and trying not to make a great deal of noise, but, alas, it was no matter, as Skipper slowly rose from the sheets. Rubbing his eyes and seeing the pained penguin, he rushed over to him.

"Private!" He exclaimed, putting his flipper around him. "Are you alright?"

Private smiled. Just Skipper touching him gave him a better feeling all over. It was so nice.

"I am now.." He whispered, smiling. The leader smiled back and stared into the young penguin's eyes. Private could feel himself moving closer, and soon they were mere centimeters away.

Just as they closed in, An extremely loud noise shook the house.

Private jumped, Skipper glanced at him, the sort of 'We should go check it out' kind of glance. The young penguin's eyes widened.

"Um, Skippa?" He asked sheepishly as he saw the leader already getting ready to leave the room and investigate. "I-I don't think we should go out there.."

Skipper stopped and stared at the frightened penguin. He moved over and gently grabbed his flipper.

"It's okay, Private. Ill protect you." He reassured. The little penguin's blushed face let out a content smile.

Once they left the room, Skipper decided it was best to check out the main hall. After all, Kowalski and Rico could have already been awake and moving about the house, and that would be the best place to be. As they walked down the gloomy halls, Skipper never let go of Private's flipper. Private liked that. He remembered how nice it was, the feeling of his leader's flipper around his. Firm, but gentle at the same time, as if he was trying to show how much he cared, and how much he didn't want to let go.

Private kept his smile,but only for a short time, as the questions arose once again in his mind. He tried to forget them with the best of his abilities. After all, they were leaving today, it wouldn't even matter, everything would be better again.

The two arrived at the stairs descending to the main hall. The leader gave Private another reassuring glace before starting down the stairs. They looked around for any signs of there team-mates, but found nothing in the room or halls around them.

"Strange.." Skipper started, looking rather uncomfortable, which was unusual for him. "No one's even around."

"What could have made that noise then..?" The young penguin beside him asked, gripping Skipper's hand more firmly.

Skipper regained his composure and moved closer beside him. "They could be outside working on the car, let's check it out."

They turned around and headed for the door, but soon Skipper stopped abruptly. Private gave him a confused glance, but one look at his surroundings told him why Skipper did so.

The doors, the same exact doors they entered the mansion in, were gone. Completely vanished from existence.

And in its place, the walls were smeared in dark blood. And what was written with it were the words "Never Leave"

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><p><strong>Sorry if this one's a little shorter, and the ending isn't quite as good, but as I said I should be getting at least 3 chapters in by the end of the week, so hopefully I wont disappoint :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Never Leave

A/N: Sorry If this is late, I came down with the flu so I wasn't able to write for a couple of days. R&R!

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><p><strong>Soulless<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Never Leave<strong>

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><p>Private gripped Skipper's side, still staring with wide eyes at the blank wall where the door once was. Skipper couldn't believe it. He had actually believed some of Private's story, but he never really thought something like this could happen. He took an unsteady step backwards.<p>

"I..I don't believe it.." He whispered. He looked down at the smaller penguin, still at his side, and tried not to look frightened, even though what was happening right now really creeped him out. After what seemed like days, The leader finally stepped forward, placing his hands on the wall. He felt the wetness of the dark liquid. Fresh blood. Skipper turned even more pale.

"How did this happen? He asked, as if someone could give him the answer.

"M-maybe we can get out through the window." He heard Private say. He had to admit, it seemed like a pretty solid plan; he gave kudos to the smaller penguin before picking up one the chairs scattered about the main hall. He readied himself in front of the window, when he noticed something he hadn't before.

Skipper stared out the window, only to be met with complete darkness. That was impossible. It was still fairly early, but surely the sun would have risen by now. But the leader couldn't see two feet, let alone two inches, out the musty glass. He shook the thought away and held the chair high with his flippers, getting ready to break the glass.

He ran forward, lifting the chair even higher until he was close to the window, then, with all of his force, slammed the wooden furniture against the glass.

Nothing happened.

Well, something happened, just not what either penguin had expected or hoped for. The chair bounced back, sending Skipper along with it to the hard floor. He shook the small pain in his back away and stared wide-eyed at the window. Not even a scratch.

"H-how?" Private gasped out, looking back at the leader. He had the same confused look on his face, but lifted himself up and grabbed the chair once more.

"We're getting the Hell out of here!" He shouted before rushing to the window again, slamming the chair against the glass. Again and again, he forced the chair into the glass, only to be met with the furniture bouncing right back, as if the window itself was protected by something. Skipper, who was now out of breath, dropped the chair in defeat. He sullenly shook his head. What the Hell was keeping them here?

"We're neva getting out of here! Oh, God, Skippa, we can't leave!" Private cried out, fear overcoming his face. The leader waddled over to him and brought him close, stroking the feathers on his back and letting him cry on his shoulder. It was a lot to take in for the little penguin, and even more for Skipper, but he tried his best to keep his composure and calm Private down.

"No, we _need _to get out of here. And we're gonna find a way, even if it kills us.." The last words made Private shake even more, but he nodded in agreement; They _had_ to get out of here.

"W-what do we do?" The little penguin asked, looking up at Skipper. In all honesty, the leader was at a loss for options. That's when it hit him. He gently grabbed Private's flipper and led him upstairs again.

"C'mon. We need to get the rest of the team." He offered. Hopefully Kowalski would have some sort of solution for this.

Once the two had made it to Kowalski and Rico's room, Skipper banged on the door.

"Kowalski! Rico! Get out here!" He ordered. A few moments later, the strategist and weapons expert groggily exited the room.

"Rise and shine, men. We need to get outta here." The leader said sternly. Kowalski glared at him with what looked like anger, but soon he saw the seriousness on his and Privates' faces.

"What's wrong, sir?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Skipper wasn't really sure how to describe what was happening, especially to Kowalski, who most likely wouldn't believe a word of this. The leader wasn't even fully sure if _he _believed what was happening. It was almost like a dream.

Or a nightmare.

"Just...Just follow us, you'll see.." He said, rushing back to the main hall, Private right behind him. Kowalski stood there, confused. _Whatever had happened to them, it really seemed to shake them up_, he thought. He instantly thought about his encounter the previous night; a cold shiver ran through his body.

"Walksi..?" He heard Rico squawk out quietly. He almost jumped, forgetting he was there, but kept his composure and began to follow the two ahead of them, for whatever lay ahead.

He and Rico caught up to the others shortly, and the strategist had time to gauge his team-mates' faces. Private looked downright scared, like he had seen a ghost. He was trembling and he looked very nervous, as if something was coming for him. Kowalski peeked up at his leader. He looked relatively calm, but Kowalski knew better. He knew Skipper more than that. He could sense the fear in every one of his steps. This frightened the scientist. Whatever made Skipper scared like that surely had to have been bad. He also noticed something else about the shorter penguin. He looked worried, and it seemed like it was towards Private. Kowalski couldn't help but wonder what just happened in that room last night.

He looked down, and noticed something he hadn't before. The two in front of him were walking closely by each other, and in between their bodies, two flippers held each other firmly. The strategist now wanted to know the events of last night even more, and was about to ask about it, when they arrived at the main hall.

Kowalski and Rico didn't have to ask before they saw the blood stained wall. The taller penguin looked around the entire room, confused.

"Skipper? Where are we?" He asked, still staring at the dark writing on the wall. "We're at the main hall." He heard from behind him. _'No, that couldn't be,' _Kowalski thought. _'There was a door right here, this can't be the same room.'_

"Are you..sure, sir? The main doors would have been right here.." He stated, now looking back at the leader. Skipper looked at him like he was missing the easiest clue in the world.

"Exactly.." He said, looking down and comforting the smaller penguin beside him. That was illogical. No, it was impossible. The door couldn't just up and walk away. Kowalski took out his clipboard and began scribbling something down, when it was flung from his flippers by Skipper.

"Fish and chips, man!" He barked out. "it's always with that notepad! There's no way to explain what the hell is going on!" It grew silent, and the leader, who realized he shouldn't have been so angry like that, began to calm down again.

"Look," He said. "Right now, we need options. We're not gonna make it the night if we don't find food or get out of here, and I'm not looking to stay any longer than I have to." Kowalski nodded and turned around, contemplating what to do next.

All of this was unbelievable. None of this was rational in the least bit, but something definitely was happening, and he needed to find them a way out. He went to pick up his clipboard, when suddenly, a loud scream overcame the room.

Private jumped and clung to Skipper, who held him tight. Kowalski nearly leaped out of his skin and looked back at the direction of the noise.

"W-What was that?" Private asked in a shaky voice, holding Skipper even tighter.

He turned to the others, fear rushing through his blood. He noticed something wrong with what he was looking at, but couldn't see any difference with the penguins in front of him. He looked around once more, and that's when he realized it. He slapped himself and ran right in the direction of the scream, down a dark hallway, leaving the others alone.

"Where the hell are you going?" Skipper yelled after him, but he never heard a reply.

"Dammit, Kowalski.. Okay, Rico! Give me a weapon, we're going after him." He commanded. But no response came. The leader called out for his team-mate, but there was still no reply.

"Oh, no.." Private gasped out, turning to face Skipper. "Rico's gone, too!"

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><p>Sorry if this is extremely late haha, I got caught up in schoolwork and I could not find the time to write. But, hopefully this, and the new story I should be uploading soon, will make up for it :) Plz review!<p> 


	11. Chapter 11: Thump

A/N: Wow. It certainly has been a while, hasn't it? I guess I kind of forgot about this story, sorry haha. But hopefully, I can continue with it for a while. As always, leave your input, feel free to comment and add suggestions, and enjoy!

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><strong>Soulless<strong>

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><strong>Chapter 11:<strong>

Kowalski raced through the darkness, ignoring anything and everything around him except for the source of the scream. He realized it was Rico who had screamed, and he wasn't about to let anything happen to him. He could hear Private and Skipper behind them, slowly catching up, but he didn't care. He just didn't want to be too late to save Rico from whatever it was that had attacked him.

He ran for what seemed like forever, now yelling out Rico's name in hopes of being able to find him, but there was no response. Only the sound of his team-mates running after him. After 15 minutes of frantic searching, the strategist finally collapsed at the ground in shock.

Private and Skipper had managed to catch up with the taller penguin, who had now broken down on the floor. Kowalski looked up at Skipper, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Where is he?" He yelled. "I searched everywhere, he isn't here! Where did he go?" The leader stared at him with wide eyes, still being shaken by his flippers. He finally slapped Kowalski over the face, snapping some sense into him.

"I don't..know, soldier," He said in a low voice. "But you need to get a grip, man!" He looked down at Private, who was now sitting on the ground, trying to figure out what had exactly happened. Skipper held his flipper out to him, lifting him up and bringing him closer.

"Skippa," Private whispered in a frightened voice. "I want to go home.."

Skipper stared contently down at the little penguin, wrapping his flipper around his slender body.

"I know, Private," He replied, looking around for any other doorways that they could have missed while searching for the manic penguin. "Me, too. But we need to find Rico, first-"

"And then what?" A now angry Kowalski cut in, causing another frightened whimper from Private. "We already tried leaving, and it didn't work so well!" Skipper stared at the distraught penguin with worry in his eyes.

This was definitely a new side to Kowalski that no one had ever seen. Sure, he had his mental breakdowns every here and there after an experiment gone wrong; but this, this was a completely different Kowalski.

Private watched Kowalski pace back and forth through the room that they had been sitting in for at least 5 minutes now, and tugged Skipper's feathers. The leader looked down with caring eyes, eyes that, if he had not been in this situation, he would have adored.

"What is it, soldier?" He said in a low, but tender voice.

"Maybe Rico's upstairs; he.. he _has _to be!" Skipper nodded with agreement; if the crazed penguin was anywhere, it had to be on the second floor.

The three had made it to the second floor and were now planning their route to try and find Rico.

"Alright," Skipper said, looking back and forth at his two men in front of him. "We can all split up and look for Rico separately, but we should all stay close enough to hear the other,in case anything happens."

The leader's final words shook Private throughout his entire being. He glanced at Kowalski, who had still not yet calmed down. It was actually kind of saddening for the young penguin seeing the strategist like that.

"Skippa.." He chirped in. The taller immediately brought his attention to Private. "I..I don't think I can be alone, please.. let me look with you!"

Skipper nodded with thoughtful eyes, rubbing Private's shoulder and keeping him close.

The two teams, now split up, had went their separate ways..

Skipper walked down the hall cautiously, flashlight in one hand and Private in another. He tried to calm the trembing soldier's nerves by lightening the already horrific mood overcoming the gloomy atmosphere. A task which, in retrospect, was a bad idea.

"So," He said, clearing his dry throat, "You don't _really_ believe in all this 'ghost' stuff, do you, Private?

Private looked at the leader, a frightened and exhausted look on his face.

"Right now," He said doggedly, "I'm beginning to question my own sanity.."

Skipper looked back at him, worry enveloping in his eyes. _Maybe he's right,_ the leader thought to himself as he shined the light through the nearby doorways. _Maybe this house is making us all just lose our minds.._

"There's gotta be an explanation for all this, an we're gonna find out." He said as valiantly as possible. But deep inside, he didn't know if he could even trust his own words.

"But what if there isn't, Skippa?" The young penguin asked, still staring at the dark silhouette of his leader. "I mean, what if we don't find Rico? What if.. we can't leave?"

The hall became utterly silent. Skipper was at a loss for words. If Private _was_ right...

_No_, he thought to himself angrily, _I can't think of that now._ He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he kept his false composure and brought Private closer to him.

"You let me worry about that, soldier." He said briskly, hoping it would help Private. He sighed deeply in his mind when Private's shoulders finally relaxed and he stopped his trembling.

In all honesty, Private didn't really believe Skipper at first. But soon, his words coaxed him into a sense of security; if only for a short while, before something caught the leader's attention.

Skipper stopped dead in his tracks, Private right beside him.

"Did you hear that?" He asked in a hushed voice. Private tried to reply, but was cut off by the leader's flipper covering his beak. Skipper hushed him and motioned for him to just listen. It was silent for at least a minute, but then Private heard it.

_Thump...Thump..._

The sound of footsteps.

The two remained frozen in the dusty hall, waiting for the sound again.

_Thump..._

Private dared not move from his spot, but he fixed his eyes on Skipper, who seemed to be watching for something; waiting..

_Thump..._Thump...

It was then that the two realized something, something they wished they could have found out earlier.

Thump...

The footsteps were approaching.

Skipper grabbed Private by the flipper and led him back down the hall, trying to find a place to hide. But it was futile, something had blocked every door they passed.

"What the Hell..?" Skipper growled, furiously budging on the door, but to no avail.

Private, who had been trying to keep his calm, couldn't help panicking when he heard the footsteps approaching again. Whoever it was, it was going after them.

"Um...S-Skipper?" He whispered, trembling and tugging on the taller's flipper. He turned around and led him through the pitch black halls, dropping his flashlight in the process; he didn't go back for it.

The duo raced through the halls, but no matter how fast they went, no matter how much halls they intersected, the footsteps still followed, almost getting closer every time.

Thump...Thump..

"We need to hide!" Private cried out, pointing to the only open doorway they had in their sights. They sneaked into the pitch black room, finding a nearby closet and ducking inside of it,

Where they sat in wait for one of the most horrible things they ever could have experienced...

Hope you like it! And I also plan to keep going on with this story, instead of just stopping and going. Leave your reviews!


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